Stunning film deserves to be ranked among Hitchcock's greatest

This movie is always brushed aside as "minor", and "an experiment that
failed", EVEN by Hitchcock himself. I can't let that mistaken judgment
stand.

I have seen it many times over the years and always found it moving and
disturbing but never analyzed why it had this effect. On viewing it again
tonight immediately after watching To Catch a Thief, I became aware that
Rope remains brilliant whereas the other movie was merely a pretty and
lightweight, average 50's period piece.

The really strange thing is that Hitchcock's movies fall into certain
distinct periods which have been written about at length (from early
British
to late Hollywood; from suspenseful dramas to macabre comedies), but this
does not fit into any of them. It is a forties movie, like Saboteur, yet it
is shot in colour so it looks like a much later film. To everyone, forties
equals black and white. This is a stage play and takes place all in a one
room set, but there is the remarkable effect of the huge window which shows
the sun going down in real time over the course of the movie, over
Manhattan
buildings. This is of course done carefully with special lighting effects,
but it gives the perfect illusion of the sun setting. It is just that there
are fewer skyscrapers there than we would see today.

Some of the slang is dated (but charming), and such elements as a cigarette
case could never play a part in a movie made today, but even with these few
period references it seems to be a very modern film. The subject matter was
horrifying and shocking for 1948, but is rather less so now, as we are
unfortunately used to seeing gore and mindless violence. The homosexual
subtext would now be played overtly, but the way it is filmed gives it a
more ominous atmosphere than movies which have everything spelled
out.

This is a movie filled with suspense from the first frame, without any
extraneous footage. All the dialogue sounds genuine, not "stagey" as most
plays generally do when made into movies. Examples: Glengarry Glen Ross,
Oleanna, Boys in the Band etc. All good movies, but all scream out "filmed
stage play - actors emoting!" whereas this movie simply draws you into its
scenes of gradually dawning horror. I doubt if any Hitchcock film contains
more pure tragedy and pathos, or a stronger moral message.

It is a powerfully modern film and yet it is 52 years old. Even the dinner
party repartee is filled with wry comments that would not be out of place
at
a dinner party today - about such topics as the astrological signs of
movie
stars.

Yet under the witty dialogue is an undertone of tragic irony as the two
hosts play an elaborate and secret prank on their guests, simply for their
own smug satisfaction.

But it isn't simply the two hosts being in on it together; they are at
odds,
they bicker, and we are kept on edge because (as Hitchcock wants us to) we
are forced to empathize with them to a degree, as well as hating them; we
are fascinated by their quirks, played out in subtle nervousness. In taking
us into the minds of the criminals as well as the minds of the innocent
bystanders, we are left in torment for the horrifying state of humanity,
until finally we are forced to take sides.

There are so many brilliant touches in this movie that I can only list a
few
(without giving anything away). Jimmy Stewart idly setting the metronome in
motion as Farley Granger plays the piano, making him play faster and faster
while he questions him. The preoccupied worrying of Sir Cedric Hardwicke
as
he looks out the window hoping to see his son, who is late, as the others
chatter; the gradual coming together of the estranged couple who were
hostile about each other's presence at the beginning; the unbearable
tension
as the plates and candles are being cleared away by the housekeeper while
the guests and hosts are heard conversing off camera.

The devastation in Jimmy Stewart's face as he realizes that his careless
armchair philosophy has fed the imagination of two unstable minds and
therefore he too is guilty.

I can't say enough good about this film. It is underappreciated, never on
any list of Hitchcock's greatest, but the time is long overdue for it to be
appreciated as a masterpiece of suspense and art.

It has none of the irritating Hollywood production glossiness of otherwise
great movies such as Vertigo and North by Northwest, none of the blatant
psychological mood shots of films such as Marnie. It doesn't have the
simplistic filmmaking style of the forties and yet it springs from that
era,
not fitting in with anything else from the period, decades ahead of its
time.

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114 out of 146 people found the following review useful:

Brilliant! The most underrated of the Hitchcock/Stewart collaborations is still as fascinating and entertaining as ever.

Alfred Hitchcock directed so many brilliant movies that the best known
ones
like 'Rear Window', 'Vertigo', 'Psycho' and 'The Birds' overshadow equally
worthy films like 'Shadow Of A Doubt', 'Lifeboat' - insert your personal
favourite here - and this one, 'Rope'. It was the first Hitchcock movie to
feature James Stewart and it is easily the most underrated of the four
movies they made together. I think Stewart was brave for taking this part,
which was much darker than the usual characters associated with him, and
it's difficult to imagine him being able to play Scottie in 'Vertigo'
without having done this movie first. Stewart is excellent in the movie,
but
equally good are Farley Grainger (who subsequently starred in Hitchcock's
'Strangers On A Train') and John Dall as the thrill killers. Dall gives
the
best performance in the movie. I'm surprised that after making this and
the
Noir cult classic 'Gun Crazy' he isn't better known. The technical
"gimmick"
of 'Rope' is usually mentioned more than anything else about it (Hitchcock
wanted one long continuous take, which wasn't possible at the time, but
compromised by using several long ones, a very innovative approach at the
time), but there is a lot more to it than just that. Considering the
strict
censorship of the period it was a daring look at homosexuality. The word
is
never used at any time in the script but a sophisticated audience would
have
no doubt what was really going on. I've only seen about a third of
Hitchcock's output but every movie of his I watch or rewatch makes me
marvel
at him all the more. The greatest and most influential director of
suspense
movies was also one of the greatest directors of ANY genre ever. 'Rope'
deserves to be mentioned in any list of his ten best movies. 55 years
after
it was originally released it is as fascinating and entertaining as ever.
Highly recommended!

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96 out of 114 people found the following review useful:

More Than Just a Technical Achievement

This 1948 Hitchcock film is mostly noted for its technical
achievements. Hitchcock filmed this story, about two well-to-do rich
kids who decide to commit a murder for the fun of it, as a play. Which,
it in fact, originally was, though based in London and not New York.
Technical limitations did not enable his original vision of making the
entire picture one continuous long shot. Instead it is made up of
several 8 minute continuous shots. This was the length of film that fit
into one reel. Using some very inventive cutting techniques the film
appears as if it was filmed all in one take. This is more impressive
when you see the actual size that color film cameras were during this
time period. They were absolutely enormous, bigger than a man standing.
To move the camera in and around the small stage space, many of the set
pieces were set on casters and rolled about to keep out of the way of
the camera. Some of the actors were noted in saying that they worried
every time they sat down, that there might not be a chair for them to
fall into. Another achievement of the film is in terms of lighting. The
apartment that the entire film is set in has several large windows
overlooking the city. As the movie is more or less uninterrupted from
start to finish we see the lighting change as the sun begins to set and
night falls. It is a testament to this achievement that upon first
viewing you don't really notice the effect. Yet, the filmmakers took
great pains to get it to look realistic, staging numerous re-shoots for
the final few scenes.

Though the technical achievements are quite wonderful, it is a shame
that they have overshadowed what it really a very good bit of suspense.
It seems the two high society murderers have planned a dinner party
just after the murder. They store the corpse in a wood box that is
featured prominently in the midst of the dinner. This creates an
excellent mix of suspense and the macabre. Throughout the party the
murderers become more unraveled even as they are enjoying their little
game.

All of the acting is quite good. The two murderer (John Dall and Farley
Granger) do a fine job of playing intellectual, society playboys, with
a desire for excitement. It is slightly annoying watching their
excited, nervous mannerisms (especially some stuttering by Jon Dall)
but it is fitting with the characters. Their former instructor, Rupert
Cadell, is played magnificently by the impeccable James Stewart. This
is a bit of departure from Stewarts typical roles. Here he is a tough,
cynical intellectual. This was his first of four collaborations between
Stewart and Hitchock and it is hard to imagine his role as Scottie in
Vertigo without having first played in this movie.

The story unravels in typical Hitchock fashion. The suspense is built,
then lessoned by some well timed comedy, and then built again to a
final crescendo. Hitchcock was excellent as a technical director and
allowed his actors the breathing room they needed for fine
performances. In the end I left the picture feeling more excited about
the superb storytelling than any particular technical achievement. It
is a testament to his craft, that Hitchock allows you to leave a
picture being enamored with his story over his technical achievements.
Some of the greatest effects are those you don't notice because they
seem so natural and real.

Alfred Hitchock manages a triumph of technical brilliance and suspense
in Rope. It's influence in the technical realm of cinema far outshines
any effect the story has on future movies. This is a shame, for the
story being told is one of suspense, macabre and excitement.

Like this review? Go to www.midnitcafe.blogspot for more.

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102 out of 127 people found the following review useful:

Fascinating Film; Hardly Gimmicky

Rope is one of the finer films that Hitchcock made. Philosophy, sociology
and psychology are contained in equal parts. The plot is simple, the
characters are complex and Hitchcock's treatment of the Leopold and Loeb
parallel quite deft. The final soliloquy from Jimmy Stewart's character,
Rupert, is not only one of the finest examples of Stewart's acting abilities
but also of film-making.

On the subject of filmmaking - Hitchcock filmed this in as much of a single
take as possible. I believe there are only five edits in the whole thing.
I can wholeheartedly tell you that it was no gimmick on Hitchcock's part.
The play's plot requires that a certain amount of tension be maintained.
Tracking shots are used for this purpose and quite well in my opinion.
Timing, position and prop movements alone are to force us to stand in awe of
a logistical challenge. All the actors are played superbly. The dialogue
is natural and flowing. The finest bit of timing involves a swinging
kitchen door, the rope, and the fear of discovery.

In short, this is a fine film that cannot disappoint. Highly recommended
and will be well worth your time.

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103 out of 140 people found the following review useful:

Hitckcock's best film

Spellbinding. It's about two (purportedly) gay men, Brandon Shaw (John
Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger) who strangle a friend to death for
the thrill of it. They then hide the body in a trunk just before a dinner
party they have which include the victim's family and friends. They also
proceed to serve the food on the trunk containing his body. They also
invite a headmaster they had at school together--Rupert Cadell (James
Stewart) a very cynical individual. As the party progresses Cadell realizes
something is very wrong--and is afraid he might be responsible in an
indirect way.

Absolutely fascinating. Hitchcock's first color film was also shot in 10
minute takes--Hitch thought it might provide a seamless flow of narrative.
After all this was adapted from a play. I think it works very well--it's
not distracting at all and the film does move very smoothly. Also he
purposedly had the color toned down--he didn't think bright Technicolor was
appropriate for the subject matter.

Purportedly Dall, Granger and Stewart's characters were all gay. It's never
made clear but it DOES seem like Dall and Granger are lovers (and both were
gay in real life) and the script was adapted by a gay man (Arthur Laurents).
Also it's based the Leopold-Loeb murders in which two gay men killed a
young boy for the thrill of it in the 1920s. So there is a strong gay
subtext in the film.

Also there's plenty of black humor throughout. After the murder there are
lines like "Knock 'em dead", "killing two birds with one stone", "I could
strangle you" and "these hands will bring you great fame". They're actually
quite funny and frightening at the same time.

With two exceptions all the acting is good. The two bad performances are by
Sir Cedric Hardwicke (he seems to have no idea what he's saying) and Farley
Granger. Actually Granger is so bad he provides some unintentional humor!
The best acting is by Dall who is absolutely chilling and Joan Chandler (who
Hitchcock kept tormenting on the set) as Janet Walker. She has some great
lines and gives her all to every one of them. Best of all is Stewart--he
doesn't pop up until the film is almost half over and he's incredible. He
plays a very cold, cynical intellectual--this is unlike anything he's played
before. His acting is very toned down (until the end) but you can see all
his expressions through his eyes. This is easily one of his best
performances. He hated making the film. For the 10 minute takes Hitch had
to design a set which could accomidate the huge cameras. When the camera
moved the set walls were designed to go flying up (off camera) so the crew
could move from room to room. It distracted Stewart a lot and he couldn't
sleep nights.

There's also the VERY impressive cyclorama background of NYC where we slowly
see day turn into night.

This is basically all talk but every single line is fascinating. Stewart's
lines especially are great and the philosophy described is intriguing. And
the gay subtext adds another layer to it--see the looks Dall and Granger
exchange once in a while. Actually Montgomery Clift was approached about
playing Granger's role but turned it down. He was gay too but wanted to
keep it hidden and that role was just a bit too risky.

All in all an absolutely fascinating picture. A definite must-see! It's
short too (only 81 minutes). Don't miss this one!

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62 out of 80 people found the following review useful:

One of Hitchcock's greatest

What an unusual Hitchcock film... such a small cast, and the whole film
consists of long takes. Before seeing this, I had heard enormously
positive things about it... most of them coming from my father, who
hadn't seen it for about fifteen years. I had high expectations for the
film, but I must say it exceeded them. Though there are only a few cuts
in this film, meaning the camera is running almost non-stop, Hitchcock
makes great use of it; he manages to fit in many of his trademark
angles and closeups in, without it seeming forced. At one point, the
camera focuses for a minute and a half on an inanimate object with only
one visible character moving back and forth near it, and he manages to
drench the cut in suspense, leaving even the most calm and collected of
viewers at the edge of their seat, biting their nails. Only the fewest
directors could make that sequence work, and luckily Hitchcock is one
of them. The plot is great. It's interesting and it develops nicely.
The pacing is perfect. I was never bored for a second. The acting, oh
the acting... John Dall is excellent as Brandon, the intellectually
superior and very smug main character. Makes me wonder why he didn't
get more roles in his career. Stewart is great, as usual. The rest of
the acting is very good as well. The characters are well-written and
credible. For such an unusual film, and despite the heavy feeling of
watching a stage play rather than a film, it's very entertaining and
effective. If for nothing else, watch this to enjoy Dall as the cold,
calculating and manipulative psychopath. I recommend this to fans of
Hitchcock and Stewart. 8/10

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41 out of 53 people found the following review useful:

One Dead Body in Search of its Killers.

Alfred Hitchcock was a lover of the dark and the perverse hidden
beneath smiles and complacency and in his relatively sparse ROPE,
perversity runs amok and at times seems ready to burst itself at the
seams. Based on the Leopold-Loeb murders, this is a pretty simple
premise with no shock tactics, no surprise ending, but it's all
mounting tension.

John Dall and Farley Granger play college students Brandon Shaw and
Phillip Morgan -- lovers even though it's all implicit -- who kick the
first scene strangling another college mate, played by Dick Hogan. The
instrument they use is the title of the film and will make its
appearance on more than one occasion which will at one point send poor
Morgan over the edge as he is consumed with guilt and fear.
Nevertheless, they have planned a dinner party over a trunk holding
Hogan's body, and as the guests arrive, they begin an increasingly dark
game of cat and mouse and at one point it seems they actually want to
be discovered, but it's all a ruse. Shaw, the Machiavellian of the
piece, admires writer and thinker Rupert Cadell played by James Stewart
and has materialized Cadell's bleak thoughts by committing an act of
murder. What he doesn't know is that Cadell will force them not only to
confess to the murder, but to surrender to justice.

ROPE is an interesting film in the way it treats its homosexual
subtext. Hayes Code aside, you don't have to see an actual physical
contact to know that Shaw and Morgan are lovers and that Dall is
clearly the dominant male to Morgan's almost effeminate, weaker,
submissive male. There also seems to be some unexplored subtext
involving the blind admiration Shaw feels for Cadell, who's wife is
never mentioned and who's books told about the 'darkness' of the world.
This is not implying Cadell is also homosexual, but the message is
certainly clear due to the fact the script had it that Cadell had had a
fling with one of the students. Why else would Shaw talk to Cadell with
puppy dog eyes, and go to such lengths to impress him? At a time when
being gay was unspoken of finding each other in itself was anything
less than a miracle, especially if this someone had some deep thoughts
which were mutual. Natural for Shaw to want to catch his eye, win
Cadell's approval, not knowing he had twisted his work and made it
ugly.

Technically, again, the Director proved he knew his "ropes" in terms of
how he wanted us to see his picture. The suspense he creates doesn't
lie in will the killer be revealed -- had he not included the opening
shot of David's murder we might wonder if they actually had done the
deed or were merely trying to shock their guests -- but how long will
it take for their murder to be revealed. Long takes make us see the
trunk at all times, never forgetting that despite the jokes and witty
banter about astrology, there is a corpse waiting to be found. Along
the way, Hitchcock allows his actors to talk about murder and play with
the "where is David" motif until it's certain something must happen,
and then, finally, it does, in the form of Jimmy Stewart's deft
handling of the scene in which he unmasks the boys. Suspenseful, funny,
and ultimately tragic: this sums up the experience of watching ROPE.

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39 out of 56 people found the following review useful:

Of considerable interest

Naturally, Alfred Hitchcock, could not resist the temptations of
confined time and space in which to spin his spells One of his more
interesting attempts was in his first color film, "Rope," made in 1948.

The story was about two young socialites, John Dall and Farley Granger,
who strangled a college friend just for kicks and hid his body in a
chest in the room to which his parents were coming to a cocktail party
Among the guests was James Stewart, who sifted out the truth before the
evening was over

One could imagine what Hitchcock would do with such a situation  but
in fact he did a great deal more For a start, he played out the drama
in the actual time of the story: 80 minutes on a summer evening in that
New York skyscraper He dispensed with the usual cutting techniques
and, for the first time in history, shot in ten-minute takes, with not
a single interruption for the different camera set-ups...

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51 out of 81 people found the following review useful:

Innovation can't quite make this a masterpiece - but it's still worth watching

'Rope', as many reviews here point out, is shot in a "real time" format.
The
movie lasts 80 minutes and takes place over a period of 80 minutes - with
10
8 minute takes spliced together smartly (such as switching when focused on
a
back) to give the appearance of one long take. Even current "real time"
dramas such as "Nick of Time" or "24" use cuts - and perhaps
justifiably.

"Rope" is about two college students - the slimy Brendon Shaw (John Dall)
and his friend and sub-texted-gay-partner Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger)
who murder an old college mate and then, minutes after, host a dinner
party
to prove their calm, intellectual superiority and their "right" to kill
off
the lower echelons of society - they believe they are exempt from common
morality. Central to this is their smug desire to show off their theory to
their old mentor, Rupert Cadell (James Stewart), who is attending the
party,
and to get him to agree with their theories.

As the movie is essentially confined to one room, and one take, there's a
definite "play" feel to the movie. While this worked wonderful with "12
Angry Men", the script and character interaction isn't quite smart enough
here to sustain it. There's a lot of pontificating by Shaw, and some fine
retorts by Cadell but there's a sense of forcedness about it at the same
time. Only 3 of the characters are drawn with enough conviction, and it is
only Cadell who we can really admire (Granger's Morgan seems to be too
much
of a nervous twitching type to add much to the movie). The script does
allow
us to gape with incredulity at the Nietzsche-esque theories of the
"superman" espoused by Shaw, and the gay subtext is amusingly, and
cleverly,
done but there's an inevitability about the whole story - we know what
will
happen, it does, and this creates an ultimate lack of tension (when
compared
to, for example, Hitchock's "Vertigo").

The direction is, as would be expected, smart and - naturally - innovative
here. The camera drifts about from character to character, as Hitchock
tries
his "one cut" approach, and there's some nice background detail (such as
Hitchcock's flashing neon signs) to show the passage of time/current
theme.
Overall "Rope" is well worth seeing - it's not quite a failed experiment,
nor a successful one. It's a "curio" which is worth appreciating for
realizing why it was never really emulated since.

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29 out of 38 people found the following review useful:

The Art of Murder

Alfred Hitchcock broke boundaries in the movie making industry. He
overcame the odds to create not just film, but works of art. He could
tell a story like no other and it has been copied ever since. Horror,
thrillers, crime, and mysteries were his specialties. His unique sense
of how a film should look is unparalleled by any other. One of the most
creative and interesting to watch has got to be Rope.

Rope is the story of two young men, Brandan and Phillip (John Dall and
Farley Granger), who come together to perform the perfect murder.
They're only motive is that they are superior beings like Nietzsche
says. So why do they kill they're friend David? Are they really that
much above everyone else? They seem to think so, and they're old school
master Rupert (James Stewart) gave them the idea in the first place. It
seems that Brandan and Phillip have taken it too far.

After strangling David with a piece of rope, they must prepare for the
party they are throwing. The food is set, David is placed in a chest in
the parlor, and the guests will be arriving soon. One more change is
needed to really make this a work of art. The food is moved from the
dinning room and placed on top of the chest where David is resting in
peace. Mrs. Wilson, the maid, doesn't seem to understand but it is not
her job. Now everything is set. All that are needed are their guests,
including David's father!

Their friend Kenneth, David's girlfriend/Kenneth's ex-girlfriend Janet,
David's father, Mrs. Atwater, and Rupert all arrive and begin to eat.
Phillip is in a daze because of the whole situation before hand. He
still hasn't quite settled down yet and is very uneasy. Branan on the
other hand is quite chirpy, stuttering with so much excitement. The
party includes some musical accompaniment from Phillip and talk of
David's whereabouts, for he was supposed to be there...alive. He can't
believe that he actually pulled it off. All that needs to happen is for
the guests to leave and off to the country-side to dispose of David.

Hitchcock has taken Patrick Hamilton's play and made it into an
absolute masterpiece. Hitchcock had to take out some elements to the
characters of Brandan and Phillip, mainly their homosexuality.
Originally on stage the two are homosexuals but because of the time in
which the movie was made in, it had to be adjusted to suit American
standards. Europe already had addressed the issue in movies, but the US
hadn't made it that far yet.

The real standout of this picture has got to be the cinematography. The
entire movie is basically filmed in one continuous shot. The camera
moves around with the characters over the apartment. It is made to look
like you would see it on stage. You see everything going on and hear
everything, just focus your attention on the characters that are
speaking of moving around. The only time Hitchcock would stop the
camera was when a person would walk by it would zoom in on their back
for a second of two, just so the whole movie wasn't filmed non-stop,
and made editing very simple. There is only one setting for the whole
movie so you know exactly what is going on everywhere at all times. You
can feel the suspense thickening as the men's secret is close to being
exposed.

Rope is a perfect film and couldn't have fallen into better hands than
Alfred Hitchcock. His vision to make a movie based on a play surpasses
all other attempts at making this conversion. The film runs only 80
minutes but nonetheless is exhilarating from beginning to end.
Unfortunately due to the homosexual references, the movie didn't do as
well as it should have, but left its mark in cinema history. Don't let
this one get away!